Shared Suffering
Two days had passed since Toka had blessed the mountain with the ashes of evil. He and Mors scaled the cliff side with practiced balance yet the ascent was troubled; the wind blew hard, warm and brisk against them and Mors' mind was off elsewhere. Mors steadied herself in place and braced against the side of the mountain. Her limbs ached and screamed for relief to no avail. Toka yelled up from below to keep pace. Mors yelled an almost animal-like battle cry and took off up the cliff side. She breathed heavy at the top. Laying on her back she let her legs dangled over the side as she looked to the mid-day Sun for strength. Toka effortlessly pulled himself over the edge a short while after Mors. He looked down to his daughter and extended a hand. Mors scowled and smacked his hand away. Without a word she got to her feet and proceeded on along the mountain side, balancing and jumping along the edge to test Toka's patience. After awhile the Sun had made Her decent and the sky began to darken. Mors led them to an overhanging rock next to a great tree, twisted and blackened by the harsh environment. The roots grew out under the rock forming natural beds in the dirt and sand, shielded from view. Mors instantly crawled under to the far back and lay quiet, her back turned to Toka. It did not take long until she fell into an uneasy sleep. Her dreams had gotten worse since the journey had begun. She gazed out from atop the mountain feeling the weight of a great burden on her back. She looked down and below she could see a small village aflame, looking like a great torch that broke the black of night. Without knowing why she ran to it with great haste. As she got closer she could feel Nex's presence, but it was corrupted, mingled with some evil force that would not let him be. "I am coming Nex! Hold on!" She screamed as she charged to the burning village. The screams of villagers fell on her ears when she made her way into the village. They were the cries of fear and flight from some this mysterious terrible force. Mors did not know from where but she had felt it before. Small homes crumbled to ash around her in puffs of hot smoke and the bodies of the fallen littered the ground; their faces were frozen with fear and stricken with sorrow. She ran passed them feeling their dead eyes upon her, her wyvern boots splashing in puddles of blood and covered her legs in the drained life force. Following the screams, she finally came upon him. A small girl lay at his feet, cleaved in two, a doll still clutched in her small hand. His back to Mors, Nex breathed heavy and shook with a violent rage, a large, evil looking blade was gripped his white-knuckled hands. He let out a bloodcurdling yell that not only Nex but one joined with another's voice. The power of the yell hit her like a punch and the weight on Mors' back increased, sending her to her hands and knees. "Nex!" She yelled but the scream could not come out and he kept his back to her. She looked down to the ground, her hands and knees soaked in blood, blood as black as the night sky above her. "Toka...help me." She whispered seeing her own morphed reflection in the puddle. She raised her head again and Nex stood before her but this was not her brother, this was a monster. His body bore many wounds and a deep cut was opened on his side but he seemed not to care. The evil sword was raised high above his head, poised to strike. "Nex wait! I am hear to help you!" Mors screamed, looking into his eyes, eyes as red as flame. "Nex is no more. You cannot help him." ''His dual voice echoed with a deep chill and with a swift strike he brought the full force of his attack down on her.... With a gasp of breath she woke from her slumber, sweat pouring from her body in spite of the cool morning air. Toka was already up and looking out over the Valley as the Sun rose. He did not need to look back to know Mors was awake; her breathing was heavy and the gasp of air broke the morning silence like a stone in a calm pond. "I know what troubles you my daughter." He was wise and Mors could not find the strength to hate him today. "My dreams are also plagued by that evil." ''Had he even slept? ''Mors wondered as she crawled from beneath the stone and roots. "Toka...." She began, afraid to ask, but she must. "What really happened to Nex?" Her dreams felt so real and all these years she could not believe that wild band of roving orcs could defeat her brother. It was becoming clear that whatever evil had befallen them, the evil with Nex had been worse. Toka breathed in full lungs of fresh morning air and exhaled with force, as if ridding his body of something foul, before turning to her. Mors was shocked to see the glisten of a tear upon his cheek. "Mors." He began, "I need to tell you about Malek'Reth." She knew what it was before he even spoke. Knew the name before it even passed his lips. "When I was a young man I traveled far to the north in search of the ancient lands of the Rakauns. After many days of travel I came upon a creature I had never seen before; he was taller than any man or woman of Rakaun by at least two heads, his skin was blue and his hair was as white as bone. The creature spoke to me but I could not understand the words. Except when it asked me to kill it." Toka bowed his head and was silent for a moment. "When it was over the creature lay dying in my arms...gripping my arm so tight it felt as though he would tear it off. His hand...so cold. Before his last breath the creature gave me that necklace." He motioned to Mors who carried it with her now. "And a sword." With that he turned and beckoned Mors to follow him. "Your brother has that sword now..." He said when her strides met his. "That fight with the creature almost killed me; I know he lives because without that sword, I would not have made it back from the north." "But why?" She had to ask. "How could Nex even know of this sword?" ''I had never seen it. Does Bellum even know? Toka laughed but it was one of grief. "My child, even I have been a fool in my time..." He pulled a water-skin and took a drink. "Many years ago, after Nex had taken his first few trips to Rakau, we sat together and drank in the spirits." Toka took a another drink and handed it to Mors. "We talked, meditated and drank all day and night. No one was permitted to disturb us and I saw to it that he knew what his charge as Protector would be." Mors had a quick flash of the time when Toka had done the same for her. After Nex had disappeared. "After the night had grown late and we were well into our drink I told him of another charge that would one day rest upon him..." The grief was heavy in Toka's voice, "I was a fool Mors." He took the water-skin back and drank again. "I showed him the blade of the creature and told him that one day it would be his duty to guard our people and the world from it's evil." Toka spat over the cliff, "Buah Katah! I should never have let him see it; the moment his gaze fell on the blade I knew it had a hold on him." Mors had another flash of a long forgotten memory. The day Nex had left on his last trip to Rakau she had begged him to go, pleaded with him on the cliff side in the late hours of the night to let her join him but had been too young. Even though he had told her to sleep she watched him set out the following morning. Toka had been gone hunting and was not there to see it. Before Nex left he visited Toka's tent and left with a large object concealed in many layers of animal hide and cloth. I'' could have stopped him. We are both fools father.'' Toka sensed her thoughts and spoke again, "Do not trouble yourself Daughter of my Sun, the burden of his fate lies with me, and me alone." He stopped them and embraced her in a hug, she did not resist. "Now you know why you must find him." The duo walked along in silence for a long while as Toka allowed the weight of Mors' charge to set in. It was midday when they reached the caves entrance. A small opening lay in the mountain side, hidden behind many jutting rocks and fallen boulders but the people of Rakau knew how to pass them and knew that deep inside lay the strength of their Clan. The two looked to each other before entering and smiled (the first time Mors had smiled in what seemed ages). Mors had visited Rakau numerous times, with Toka, with other Clansmen and even alone; it had been only about half a cycle since her last visit but each time seemed to strike her with as much excitement as if it was her first time. "After you." Toka motioned for Mors to go ahead and she accepted. The two traversed the rocks and slid comfortably into the cave. There was no fire permitted to enter the cave so the two walked cautiously down as the light from the outside slowly failed. After awhile the cave was almost completely dark but they allowed their hearts to guild them down to Rakau. Their hearts had never failed them. Nearly an hour had passed when they turned a corner and the faint light of the cave came into view. Here, so far into the mountain rested Rakau, the Life-Tree. The two quickened their pace and made for the depths of the mountain. Finally they reached their destination. The cave stood nearly ten men high and double as wide except on its left side. Upon the left wall a rush of water that fell from the ceiling into a pool that had worn and broke the stone away as far as the eye could see. The pool trickled to the far side from the caves entrance and rushed down into a steady stream that led to the far reaches of the mountain. Upon the right wall stood Rakau: The tree's roots had grown mighty and strong, stretching the length of the room and into the pool. Its massive trunk stood almost three men abreast and was mingled with the wall of the cave. The roof of the cave was littered with branches of all sizes spreading the length of the cave and even over the pool at the other end. Upon the branches buds of future fruits were already gaining girth, ready to be harvested in only a few months. The leaves of the tree were a mix of green and purple and glowed with a faint light like the Sun from behind a thin cloud. The bark was a deep reddish brown and lighter red and purple cracks opened up like veins, giving off a light like the leaves. Mors and Toka entered with great respect, careful not to step on the many roots that spread the floor. The each took a seat, cross-legged in front of Rakaun. Without looking to her, Toka spoke, his voice no more than whisper. "Now my child we wait." "Wait for what?" She responded even quieter. "We wait for Rakau to guide us to Nex....." Category:Character lore